Attending the Amgen Tour of California sounds fairly glamorous, but it’s actually pretty hard work when you do it the way we did. Our team spent most of the time working the expo booth at the finish line of every stage. Set up, work all day, tear down and move on to the next city. The nomadic lifestyle can challenge even the most energetic of our crew. Amidst all the hard work, there are plenty of bright spots sprinkled around during the week as well. This was the case when we joined Hincapie customer, City Bicycle Works in Sacramento, CA.

City Bicycle Works threw a big party after Stage 2 (which ended up being stage 1 with the snow cancellation from Tahoe). They had live music and “refreshments” for everyone to enjoy. They didn’t let a little drizzling rain dampen the fun and we enjoyed hanging out with them for a while. It’s always great for us to hang out with our customers in a fun environment like that. We were able to thank them for their support of our brand and spend a little social time to get to know them better.

We'd like to welcome Texoma Cycling Centers to the Hincapie Dealer Family. We recently shipped some brand new Hincapie Spring clothing to TCC, so make sure you stop by for a visit. In addition to selling bicycles and clothing, TCC is a true “full-service” bike shop. Service Manager/Co-Owner Jarvis Polvado is a Certified Bicycle Mechanic, so you know you’ll receive complete, competent and expert advice. Like us, they believe in giving back to the sport, so they are involved in cycling teams and events throughout their area. Stop by the shop and tell them we said hello.

The Stars & Stripes Challenge pb Amgen is a fundraising ride on May 29, 2011 to help in the fight against cancer. It was started locally in Greenville and has since grown to one of the most successful events on the cycling calendar. This year, we’re expecting thousands of cyclists to participate and ride on some of the same roads frequented by George Hincapie and many other top level professional cyclists. Start/Finish will be at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest, SC located right along the Swamp Rabbit Trail that connects downtown Greenville with northern Greenville County. This is the ideal location to launch some of the most beautiful rides in Upstate South Carolina.

The event was originally started by the Palmetto Peloton Project, a passionate group of cyclists in Greenville that understand that everyone’s lives are being touched by cancer in some way. They wanted to create non-profit events that raise money for our local community and make real impacts in the fight against the disease. Funds raised by the Stars & Stripes Challenge benefit cancer research, outreach and advocacy right here in Greenville and across the nation. To date, the P3 organization has raised more than $1 million for the selected beneficiaries! That’s real impact indeed.

Raise $500 for the cause to get one of these beautiful Hincapie jerseys.

Join us for the fun Memorial Day Weekend and bring the whole family. There are rides and events available for all ability levels. Let’s help the P3 reach their fundraising goals at this year’s event. But, let’s also celebrate cycling and ride some of the most scenic roads in the US. Did I also mention the world-class bicycle racing you can witness when you’re not pedaling? See you in Greenville May 28-30, 2011.

Routes have been announced if you want to check them out before you get here:

If you’re riding through Lakewood or Sarasota, FL this spring and you need a new pair of shorts or a sleeveless jersey to beat the FL heat, stop by Village Bikes for a visit. They just recently signed on as a Hincapie Dealer and we’re glad to have them as part of our team. We've hosted a few of them in Greenville in the past and they are good people.

Because it's not all about the bike...

Village Bikes is a full service family bike shop, run by active cyclists and triathletes. They cater to the needs of all skill levels, from casual cyclist to trail riders. If you stop by, you might run into one of the many die-hard racers that frequent their business. Ask for a few training tips or browse the new Hincapie Spring Collection. You can find them at:

We’d like to welcome Pro Bikes in Pittsburgh, PA to the Hincapie Dealer Family. Pro Bikes has 3 locations in the Western PA (Monroeville, South Hills and Squirrel Hill. They carry a huge selection of bikes and accessories, and now you can find the new Hincapie Spring Collection in their showroom.

The new Monroeville store looks cool to us.

Pro Bikes sponsors several top level racing teams, bike rides and races, so they are very active in their community. Stop by and see them if you’re in the area. Tell them Hincapie HQ says hello.